National campground rates settle at $102.22/night in September as standalone glamping falls to its lowest reading since the index launched
The Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index (OHPI) eased to 102.0 in September, down 0.5 points from August — the third consecutive monthly decline, with every index on the dashboard lower. The national weighted average nightly rate settled at $102.22.
The declines were small everywhere except standalone glamping, which fell to its lowest reading since the index launched as the segment repriced for autumn.
“Prices have now eased three months in a row, and every index moved lower in September,” said Brian Searl, Founder and CEO of Insider Perks. “The moves are small everywhere except glamping, which held its summer rates longest and is now giving them back fastest.”
September 2026 Key Readings
- OHPI Composite: 102.0 (-0.5 from August, +2.0 from baseline)
- Weighted Average: $102.22/night
- Standalone Glamping Median: $209 (down from $225 in August — the lowest the index has recorded)
- Weekend Premium: 1.7% (down from 1.9% in August)
By Segment
- RV Sites: 98.5 / $71.32 per night
- Campground Lodging: 102.8 / $196.92
- Tent Camping: 104.5 / $56.36
- Public Campgrounds: 99.7 / $34.03
- Standalone Glamping: 93.9 / $285.97 average ($209 median)
- Independent Hosts: 92.7 / $78.04 average ($55 median)
In the traditional campground segments the decline was broad but shallow. Tent camping led, down 1.0 point to 104.5 as northern campgrounds moved into their shoulder season. RV eased 0.5 points to 98.5, and lodging slipped 0.1 point to 102.8, holding close to its high. Federal campgrounds dipped 0.2 point to 99.7. Independent hosting slipped 0.8 point to 92.7, while its median rate held at $55 for a fifth straight month.
Glamping Resets for Autumn
Standalone glamping was the exception in scale. The glamping index fell 5.4 points to 93.9, its lowest reading since launch, and the median glamping stay dropped from $225 to $209 — the lowest median the index has recorded.
Both measures fell together, and all eight accommodation types with at least 50 tracked properties declined. Treehouses dropped the most, down $22.62, followed by yurts at $21.81 and tiny houses at $17.79. Domes remain the premium category at $311.97 average ($290 median).
“When the average and the median fall together, and every accommodation type moves the same way, that’s a real change in price, not a change in which properties we happened to track,” Searl said.
Winter 2027 Pricing Marked Down Again
The near months of the forward pricing curve held: September firmed slightly as it arrived, October eased, and November and December were unchanged to within a few cents.
The winter months moved lower. January, February, and March 2027 each fell by more than a dollar from August’s observation — the third consecutive month of downward revision, with March down $1.42 against $0.94 a month ago.
State Highlights
- Most Expensive: Maryland ($174.99), holding the top spot for a sixth consecutive month
- Least Expensive: North Dakota ($41.03)
- Biggest Gain: New Jersey rose 3.7% to $143.22 — the largest increase in the country — recovering part of August’s decline
- New to the Top 10: Louisiana entered at ninth on a 1.9% gain
- Cooling: Washington (-3.5%), Arizona (-2.9%), and Kentucky (-2.9%)
Only five states moved by more than 2% in either direction in September. Arizona is a winter-destination market, and its decline lines up with the continued markdown of winter 2027 pricing in the forward curve.
Methodology Note
Beginning with the September 2026 issue, month-over-month change is measured on check-in dates observed in both the current and the prior month and applied to the prior month’s published figures, and state-level change is measured property by property. Figures published in earlier issues are not revised. The full methodology is available at https://insiderperks.com/ohpi/methodology.
About the OHPI
The Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index is the first comprehensive monthly pricing benchmark for America’s campgrounds, RV parks, and glamping resorts. It is published monthly by Insider Perks using proprietary pricing data collected from more than 23,000 properties across multiple booking platforms, reservation systems, federal recreation databases, glamping marketplaces, and peer-to-peer outdoor hosting platforms. The full September 2026 report, including state rankings, glamping pricing by accommodation type, the forward pricing curve, and complete methodology, is available for free at https://insiderperks.com/ohpi.
About Insider Perks
Insider Perks is an outdoor hospitality intelligence company focused exclusively on campgrounds, RV resorts, and glamping destinations. The company combines AI guest service, market intelligence, automation, AI-ready websites, and growth marketing into one connected system. Founded in 2009 by Brian Searl, the company serves 500+ properties across the United States and Canada and publishes the Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index (OHPI), the industry’s first standardized pricing benchmark. Learn more at insiderperks.com.
Media Contact: Brian Searl Founder & CEO, Insider Perks brian@insiderperks.com https://insiderperks.com
Citation: Searl, B. (2026). Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index (OHPI), September 2026. Insider Perks. https://insiderperks.com/ohpi
